My Fair Ladies

A very committed and creative member of the Brisbane arts community has been very kindly offering me some advice recently on how best I should ‘brand’ myself. He has come up with a slogan that might just catapult me into global fame and fortune, and turn me into a household name, like Tupperware or ipod. His little gem of a slogan goes like this….

Don’t be a yobbo…..drink from a Robbo

What do you think? Kind of catchy isn’t it? I’m thinking of getting Nicole Kidman to be the face of this new Robbo empire, and Olivia Newton-John to do the jingle. Or perhaps Kath and Kim might even come on board for this one…talk about sophistimacation! Thanks J!

Speaking of Olivia Newton-John, I have something to admit that is just a tiny bit embarrassing, but I’m feeling like sharing today. When I was a kid she was my absolute idol. I loved her! I thought she was the most beauuuuuuuuutiful woman in the world! My bedroom wall was plastered in photos of her, I had all the albums, I watched all the movies. One day mum and I read this little household tip in the Women’s Weekly magazine about sticking pictures on the wall using toothpaste. Apparently it was a great way to avoid ruining the paint and leaving marks on the wall. Great, we thought! Let’s get the tube! And up they all went where they stayed for the next few years, alongside the Lady Di pictures (yes that’s right, Lady Di). But let me tell you people – NEVER stick your pictures up on the wall with toothpaste (gee…really?)! When we sold the house we spent hours scraping the years-old dried up toothpaste off the wall, bringing half the paint job with it. Ita Buttrose you have a lot to answer for.

These days I’m a little more subtle about my Livvy and Di obsession. Apart from the little pictures I keep in my wallet, I hide tiny images of them in my work. I make a range of porcelain cups and beakers (pictured below) that have lots of little images of things from my past and my childhood – recipes, wallpaper, sewing patterns, photos, letters etc – collaged all over them, and every now and then I sneak in a little pic of the lovely ladies….I wonder if anyone has ever noticed…

p.s. I don't really have pictures of them in my wallet…..